The World
Creation In the beginning, there was only the Conduit, a solar body swimming with souls in the vast darkness of the Astral Sea, an inexplicably formed gateway into the spirit world. It is believed that from this Conduit escaped Six powerful spirits, whose power brought them far from its gravity and into the outer reaches of the Sea. Lost in an empty and eternal darkness, the Six utilized their power to create something from nothing, bringing laws, matter, light, darkness, conflict, chaos, and life to construct their own domains for which they could dwell out of the Conduit’s grasp. These worlds and the Gods who rule them came to be known as the Six Untethered, beings detached entirely from the gravitational lure of the Conduit. After composing their own divine worlds, they turned their sights back toward the Conduit, and saw its power infinite and alluring. Combining their power, they designed and created a singular world surrounding the Conduit, one that united and balanced each of the Untethered’s strengths to create a truly magnificent realm for which the Gods could revere. This world has come to be known as Petroloth. The Untethered The Six Untethered are the primary Gods followed throughout Petroloth. The term “Untethered” is used to describe anything not bound to the Conduit’s power, beings who are considered divine and otherworldly by those enslaved to the mortal coil. More beings than just the Six are considered Untethered, these beings usually granted ascension by the Gods themselves. * Jadest, Goddess of Conflict, Change, and Emotion. Her body and domain is that of a red giant swirling with storms and crackling with lightning. * Nir, Goddess of Knowledge, Secrets, and Deception. Her body and domain is that of a blue moon, covered in clouds. * Vaarda, God of Life, Death, and Beauty. His body and domain is that of a planet very similar to Petroloth, but much smaller. * Abdarium, God of Chaos, Undeath, and Dreams. His body and domain is that of a stormy, violet, ringed planet. * Rykarn. God of Order, Civilization, and Tyranny. His body and domain is that of a grey, stone wasteland. * Sisilisis, Goddess of Light, Darkness, and Dimension. Her body and domain is that of a sun, furthest from Petroloth than the other Gods. The Conduit and Magic All magic and life in the known universe stems from either the Six or the Conduit. The Conduit is believed to serve as a gateway between the planes of Prime and Spirit, with all life on Petroloth fueled by a soul from the Spirit. When a Tethered (or mortal) dies, their soul returns to the Conduit to be stripped of memories and experiences, returning after an indefinite amount of time to Petroloth to fuel life once more. Untethered beings such as the Gods and their agents are freed from this mortal bond and cannot be slain, only banished to their own domain within the Astral Sea. Physically, the Conduit appears as a swirling silver sun at the very core of Petroloth. Tethered who gaze upon its divine presence might find themselves stricken with madness, and so only the personal agents of the Six and the Unseeing (explained later) are permitted access to it. The only known way to access the Conduit in the Prime is through the aid of one of the Six or their agents. Magic in Petroloth, be it arcane, druidic, or divine, is all drawn from the Conduit. Spellcasters create brief connections to the Conduit to manipulate the power of the spirits dwelling there, allowing them to bend the laws of the Prime through the control of the Spirit. Arcane magic focuses on expressing the experimental and abnormal properties of the Spirit, while druidic magic manipulates the wild spirits already present in the land of Petroloth. Divine magic combines these two practices, but is empowered by the Untethered being to which it serves.